Steampunk tarot (Moore) - Five of Wands

shadowdancer

Here we have a scene that is very similar to the RWS based depictions. There are five individuals involved in a tense or heated exchange. Not sure if any of any blows have been landed as yet, but if this were a freeze frame, it is apparent a blow somewhere to someone is imminent. So on one hand this could be a warning, or it could show a lot of posturing and hot air that has the liklihood of progressing to the next level.

I do like reading this card from a view point of one of the characters. Sometimes it fine tunes the role of the querant in the situation, or may suggest a role they could adopt in order to break out of this sense of pointless deadlock.

Background character:
Appears to be female, and as such she may be able to bring a calming influence. However she has chosen to be in the background (perhaps wisely) but by doing so, she is being quite canny. Being an observer will work in her favour as she figures out what is going on, and is able to plan her course of action accordingly. She will know who is the instigator, who is the weak link etc. Her stance reminds me of someone who is well versed in a martial art, so she will be no push over if someone decides she is the weakest link.

Guy in the bowler hat:
Well, he is the one doing the most posturing, so I would say he is the one who may be whipping up the energies of those around him. Or is he? From a different viewpoint he may be trying to control the issue, and by raising the staff showing he is not a threat, but is drawing attention to what he is trying to say. I like how he is wearing an eye patch. WOrth considering in a reading. It may show he is not seeing things as clearly as the others. He may only have a 2 dimensional awareness instead of the fuller 3 dimensional awareness.

Person in aircraft flight clothing:
Now this person has their ears covered. So bear that in mind also. They may not be wanting to hear or may not be able to hear fully. Again, may alter their understanding of the issue. They seem to be ready to either attack or defend so it is for this reason the others are perhaps more focussed on them. You sense if they lower their wand, the whole situation could be de-fused quite adequately.

Cloth cap guy on the left:
He is the most prominantly depicted individual, but we only see him from the rear. He has his staff out to the right, and as such I see him as more passive in his involvement. He is also behind the aircraft clothed person so may be in a position to take action against them should they decide to escalate the situation.

Background/left side of card:
He doesn't really jump out at me at the moment with anything of interest. If anything, he may not have had any involvement in the build up, but has decided he wants a part of it. Therefore, I may be tempted to read him as someone who is getting themselves involved in a situation that was not meant to involve them in the first place. They may like conflict or confrontation, and get a buzz out of being there. However, I can also see how the situation may revolve around him and the aircraft person. The others all have roles. (Calm observer, arbitrator, doorman)

Interesting card and one I think has been very well portrayed.